Law of Judicial Fees

In this Law, the following terms and phrases shall have the meanings assigned thereto unless the context requires otherwise:
Law: Law of Judicial Fees.
Regulations: Implementing Regulations of the Law.
Competent Department: The department in charge of collecting and reimbursing judicial fees.
Judicial Fees: The amounts a party is required to pay to the competent department, in accordance with the provisions of this Law and its Regulations, excluding expenses paid during court proceedings.
Case: A lawsuit filed before the court.
Petition: A request, not part of the case, filed with the court by a litigant or others.

The provisions of this Law shall apply to all cases and petitions filed with the courts, excluding the following:
1. General criminal cases and disciplinary cases as well as related petitions.
2. Cases and petitions falling within the jurisdiction of family courts, excluding  cassation and reconsideration petitions.
3. Cases and petitions falling within the jurisdiction of the Board of Grievances.
4. Cases and petitions related to inheritance cases, excluding cassation and reconsideration petitions.
5. Cases and petitions arising from applying the provisions of the Bankruptcy Law.
6. Declarations and related petitions.

The judicial fee of a case shall not exceed 5% of the claimed amount, provided such fee does not exceed one million riyals. The Regulations shall determine the criteria for the assessment of judicial fees and related rules.

If a court decides to dismiss a case, rules to consider a case null and void, or  declines to hear a case for not being clearly defined, an additional judicial fee of 25% of the fee of the first hearing shall apply if said case is to be  reconsidered. The plaintiff shall bear the additional fees for hearing the case, even if a ruling is rendered in his favor on the merits.

A judicial fee of 1% of the awarded amount shall be imposed on the plaintiff filing a petition for nullification of an arbitral award, with a maximum of one million riyals, if the petition is dismissed.

Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 7 and 8 of this Law:
1. A separate judicial fee shall be imposed on an intervening litigant petitioning a ruling on his claim.
2. In case of multiple plaintiffs or defendants in a case, each of them shall bear the judicial fees in proportion to his share of the claim.

A judicial fee not exceeding ten thousand riyals shall be imposed on the following petitions, in accordance with the criteria and assessment rules specified by the Regulations:
1. Petitions for appeal, cassation, and reconsideration.

2. Incidental petitions.

3. Petitions for joinder filed by litigants.

4. Petitions for disqualification.

5. A litigant’s petition to proceed with a case suspended by agreement prior to the expiration of the agreed-upon suspension period.

6. A petition for correction or interpretation of a judgment.

7. Other petitions specified by the Regulations.

1. A judicial fee not exceeding one thousand riyals shall be imposed on the following petitions, in accordance with the criteria and assessment rules specified by the Regulations:
a) A petition by a person with interest to obtain a certified copy of the case papers or records, whether in paper or electronic form, or documents or papers in the possession of the court.
b) A petition by a person with interest to have access to case papers or records, whether in paper or electronic form.
c) A petition to obtain a replacement copy of a judicial document.
2. The provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article shall not apply to petitions filed during the hearing of a case by the parties or by persons joining therein.

If a petition results in an increase or decrease in the assessment of the value of a case, the judicial fees of said case shall be changed accordingly, without prejudice to the judicial fees prescribed for the petition.

No additional fees may be imposed on a case in either of the following cases:
1. If a ruling of lack of jurisdiction is rendered and the case is filed before the competent court.
2. If the competent court rules to reverse the ruling and return the case to the court that issued the appealed ruling or to a different court.

The competent department shall determine the judicial fees for a case or petition filed with the court in accordance with the provisions of this Law and its Regulations, and shall notify the plaintiff or petitioner upon entering said case or petition. The plaintiff or petitioner may object to said fees within 15 days from the date of his notification before the chief judge of the court or his designee from among court judges. A decision issued thereby shall be final and unappealable.

1. With the exception of petitions for cassation and reconsideration, failure to pay judicial fees shall not prevent the court from entering and deciding the case or petition. Said fees shall be collected according to the procedures specified by the Regulations.
2. A petitioner for cassation or reconsideration shall be given a grace period of 30 days from the date of filing the petition with the competent court to pay the prescribed judicial fees. If the petitioner fails to make the payment within such period, the court shall rule that his right to petition is forfeited, and its judgment shall be final.

1. A person against whom a judgment is rendered shall bear all or part of the judicial fees prescribed for the case and related petitions unless this Law or its Regulations stipulate otherwise, without prejudice to the right of the concerned parties to seek compensation. If the plaintiff’s claim is partly invalid, he shall bear the share of the fees for the invalid part.
2. If a case is settled through conciliation, the parties shall equally bear the judicial fees, unless agreed otherwise.

If a ruling is rendered in a case prior to collecting the judicial fees, the final assessment issued by the competent department shall be deemed an enforcement document and shall be collected in accordance with the
Regulations.

Subject to the provisions of Article 13(2) of this Law, judicial fees shall be reduced to a quarter of their value in case of conciliation before the court, provided that the conciliation takes place after the first hearing and before a judgment is rendered in the case.

Judicial fees shall be reimbursed if it is found that the person is not required to pay such fees or if any of the following exemption cases apply:
1. A judgment is rendered in favor of the person who paid the judicial fees.
2. A petition for disqualification of a judge or judges is granted.
3. A petition for correction or interpretation of a judgment is granted.
4. A petition for appeal, if the appealed judgment is wholly reversed; however, if said judgment is partly reversed, the exemption shall apply in proportion to said part, as well as a petition for cassation where a decision is issued to remand the case to the lower court.
5. If the plaintiff abandons his case before the first hearing is held, in accordance with statutory procedures.
6. Cases ending in conciliation prior to adjourning the first hearing.
7. Civil cases filed in association with criminal cases if they end in conciliation at any stage of the case.
The Regulations shall determine the relevant procedures and rules.

Subject to the laws and international treaties and conventions to which the Kingdom is a party, judicial fees shall not be imposed on the following:
1. Prisoners and detainees in non-criminal financial cases at the time the judicial fees are due, in cases filed by or against them.
2. Workers subject to or excluded from the Labor Law and their beneficiaries upon claiming their entitlements arising from employment contracts.
3. Ministries and government agencies.
The Regulations shall specify the relevant procedures and rules.

Subject to the provisions of Article 17, if a judgment is rendered in favor of a person exempted from judicial fees, the person against whom the judgment is rendered shall pay said fees.

The collected judicial fees shall be deposited in a current account of the Ministry of Finance with the Saudi Central Bank.

The Minister of Justice shall issue a decision specifying the department at the court where the case or petition is filed to be charged with the collection and reimbursement of judicial fees.

The Minister of Justice may license the private sector to provide services supporting the application of this Law. The Regulations shall set licensing provisions as well as rules for operation and supervision.

The Ministry of Justice shall draft the Regulations within 60 days from the date of issuance of this Law. Such Regulations shall be issued pursuant to a resolution by the Council of Ministers.

This Law shall enter into force 180 days following the date of its publication in the Official Gazette